White Bean and Kale Salad (Printable)

Hearty Mediterranean-style salad with creamy white beans, massaged kale, and zesty lemon-garlic dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 large bunch kale, about 6 cups, stems removed, leaves chopped
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
06 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
02 - Place chopped kale in a large salad bowl. Pour half the dressing over the kale and massage with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes until the leaves soften and darken.
03 - Add the white beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and seeds to the kale. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.
04 - Toss everything gently to combine. If using, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The kale gets tender and silky once you massage it with dressing, turning something usually tough into something you actually crave.
  • It comes together in twenty minutes but tastes like you spent your entire morning in the kitchen.
  • One bowl feeds four people, or one person very happily for several days.
02 -
  • Don't skip the kale massage, I learned this the hard way by eating chewy, bitter kale salads until someone finally showed me this one weird trick that changed everything.
  • The salad tastes better after sitting for fifteen minutes once it's assembled, the flavors marry and the kale continues to soften without turning to mush.
03 -
  • Toast your own seeds in a dry pan for two minutes and you'll taste the difference immediately, it only takes a moment and transforms the whole salad.
  • If you're making this ahead, assemble everything except the dressing, then dress it right before serving so the kale stays at its best.
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